What should be your primary focus if you are navigating through crowded waters?

Maintaining a proper lookout is crucial when navigating through crowded waters. In busy environments, being aware of your surroundings is essential for safety. This involves observing other vessels, understanding their movements, and anticipating potential hazards. Keeping a lookout helps to identify other boats, swimmers, and obstacles, which is key to avoiding collisions and ensuring everyone’s safety on the water.

While increasing speed might seem like a way to clear the area quickly, it can actually lead to dangerous situations as it reduces your ability to react to unexpected changes in the environment. Using your horn frequently is not effective unless it is warranted by a specific situation; overuse can create confusion rather than ensure safety. Following other boats closely may seem like a way to maintain a path, but it can limit your visibility and reaction time, putting you at risk if the vessel ahead changes course unexpectedly. Therefore, prioritizing a proper lookout is the best practice in these scenarios.